


Academy Boulevard

by ekayla



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Ben is a dork, F/M, Fluff, I just want good things for them okay, Oneshot, Prompt Fic, Smitten Ben, ben works as a sign holder, cute looking at stars moment, did phasma just hit on finn, gwen cusses like a sailor, healthy dose of gingerrose, poe is the perfect wingman, probably a crack fic, reybe, rose interrupts things, she says everything I want to say irl, smitten rey, team trooper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25530484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ekayla/pseuds/ekayla
Summary: Ben works as a sign holder, but has to dress up like a stormtrooper from Galaxy Wars. Every so often, he sees Rey walking home from work. One day, he blows her a kiss and she smiles back. Later that night, she shows up at his friend's party, but she has no idea who he is.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 17
Kudos: 67





	Academy Boulevard

> _ Just got a kiss blown at me by a stormtrooper off of Academy Blvd… whatever he is trying to accomplish, it worked LOL _

Rey wasn’t one to update her status much, but for some reason she thought this occurrence was hilarious and worthy of alerting her below-average number of followers. As soon as she pressed send, she tucked her phone away and adjusted her headphones, music blaring. She liked it loud, to drown out the sound of the car horns and people chattering around her. Plus, it had the added bonus of deterring anyone from striking up a conversation. Rey glanced back at the stormtrooper who blew her the kiss, her smile still plastered across her face. Normally, she detested any kind of display of public affection from a stranger, but since the person was in costume, and she had a crappy day, she allowed it. 

The city bus was a few minutes away. She knew on account that she rode it everywhere, everyday. She’d seen the stormtrooper out on the corner of Academy before, several times actually, but it was always on Fridays. Everytime, the person was outside with a giant sign that read “HUGE SALE”, flipping it around incessantly. Rey wasn’t sure to use he or she, but she suspected a ‘he’ simply because of how tall and large the person in the costume was. She’d only seen him drop the sign once, and it was right after she walked by. At the time, she’d tried not to laugh, but did so unsuccessfully. 

Today, however, the stormtrooper seemed proficient in his sign-flipping abilities. He’d been swinging it around when Rey turned the corner onto the street, and when she’d walked by, he stopped everything he was doing and blew her a kiss. 

Finally, the bus pulled up and Rey hopped on. About fifteen minutes later, she got off at her stop, walked a couple blocks to her apartment building, and found Rose sitting on her stoop. 

“Well, hello there,” she said to her best friend, sitting there in her black t-shirt, dark jeans and a plaid shirt tied around her waist. Rose kept her eyes glued to her phone and her thumbs dancing on her screen.

“Hey Rey, ‘bout time you got here! You’re coming to the party tonight, right?” 

“Maybe. I’d like to actually get  _ in _ my flat first, if you don’t mind.” She stepped over Rose, who hadn’t moved an inch since Rey walked up. 

Rose’s thumbs finally stopped moving. She looked up and over her shoulder at Rey, who was now behind her, fumbling with her keys. “Sorry, I had to finish texting Finn. Hi, how was your day?” 

“It was-” Rey got the door open with a shove, she really needed her landlord to take a look at it. “It was alright. Just another day of work, I suppose.” She opened the door and waited for Rose to stand up. “I can tell you all about it if you really want me to. Over a cup of tea? Or you can tell me how your last date was with Armie?” Rey smirked. 

Rose’s cheeks flushed, her eyes darting to the sky above. “We’ve only been on two dates!” She walked inside and the two began to climb the enormous amount of stairs to Rey’s apartment on the fourth floor.

“But didn’t you say the first one was the best first date you’d ever been on?” 

“Well, yes… and the second one was even better.” Rose grinned. 

Rey loved seeing her friend happy, and even though she didn’t know this Armie guy, she already wanted to thank him for all he’d done. “Well, I can’t wait to meet him.” Rey unlocked her door and the girls headed in, straight for the giant grey couch. 

“Actually, if you mean that… remember that party I mentioned earlier? Well, Armie is throwing it at his place, and you’re totally invited. You can come meet him then, and tell me what you think! I need your honest opinion. Finn will be there too, so you can hang out with him!” 

Rose was constantly trying to set her up with their friend Finn, who had an obvious crush on Rey, though it wasn’t mutual. “Rose, you know I don’t like Finn, like  _ that _ I mean. He’s a great guy, but there’s just no… spark. No chemistry. No matter how many times you throw us together, it’s just not going to happen!” 

“Fiiiiine.” She rolled her eyes. “But you  _ have _ to come tonight! It’s gonna be so fun, and I really want you to meet Armie.” Her bottom lip protruded from her face and her eyes resembled those of a puppy. 

Rey hated when she did this, because she had no defense. “Alright, alright. I’ll go… but I can’t promise anything about having fun. You know how I am when I meet new people. It’s stressful. Let me go change clothes.” Rey headed off to her room, hoping she didn’t regret the decision she just made. 

\--

Ben was tired. No, he was more than tired. He was  _ exhausted _ . Not only was he juggling two jobs, but he stupidly added grad school to the mix almost two years ago. He was a semester away from finishing, and his body could not be more ready for it. And to make matters worse, one of his jobs was more… embarrassing than he originally signed up for. 

“Why do you even do it?” Poe asked him when Ben arrived home that evening. They’d been best friends since freshman year in college, and had lived together ever since their sophomore year when they were allowed to move out of the dorms. 

Ben sighed. “I really need the money, and it’s an easy gig, really. Dress up like a stormtrooper and flip around a sign? Come on, I’d be stupid  _ not _ to do it, really.” He stood in the living room, still in costume and holding his helmet, beginning to feel his words. “...right?” 

“Pfft, I guess…” Poe raised his eyebrows and looked back down at his phone. “Oh hey, wanna go to Armie’s party tonight? Should be fun.” 

“Yeah sure. What time?” 

“Uhh,” he checked the time, “In about an hour. Think you can be ready, soldier?” 

Ben deadpanned. “Yeah, just give me a minute.” 

A little while later, Ben came out of his room dressed in jeans and a grey t-shirt. His hair was still a little damp from his shower. He didn’t bother brushing it out or trying to do anything to it, really. He didn’t really care what Poe or Armie thought about what he looked like, and he’d been single for so long that the idea of impressing girls was so far out of his mind. 

Sure, he’d blown a kiss at a girl today, but he’d been in costume. Strangely enough, the stormtrooper suit gave him almost a super confidence that he normally didn’t have. He’d seen her before, walking to and from that bus stop, always looking so beautiful. Finally, today, he felt like he just  _ had _ to do something. Besides, it’s not like she knew who he was or their paths would ever cross outside of Academy Boulevard. 

Poe and Ben arrived at Armie’s house a little after the time he gave them.    
  


“You’re late.” 

Poe rolled his eyes. “Come on, no one shows up right when it starts.” And he was right. They were the first to arrive, bringing armfuls of beer and red solo cups, just like they did in college. Some things never changed, but Ben was perfectly okay with that when it came to his friends. 

“Gwen should be here soon, she’s also stopping to get drinks.” Armie led them into the kitchen to unload their arms. “Also, Rose is coming, and I think she’s bringing a couple friends too.” 

“Wait, who’s Rose?” Poe looked to Ben, hoping he’d help him remember. 

Ben playfully smacked him in the shoulder. “You know, Rose. The girl he went on a couple dates with.” 

“Riiiiight, yeah! That Rose.” He looked back to Armie, who was unamused by his friend’s inability to remember things he told him. “Alright, sweet! I like meeting new people. Are her friends single?” He winked. 

“Oh god, please don’t.” Armie started to walk away, and Ben heard the door open and Gwen shouting.

“Hux, you son of a bitch! Where are you?” She made her way into the kitchen to find the guys and made a face. “Why are you guys all hanging out in here?” Setting her drinks down, she snagged one and opened it with the bottle opener on the counter. “Let’s go into the living room and get some music going!” 

They all headed into the living space and within half an hour, more people showed up, most of which Ben didn’t know. Armie knew a lot of people from work, and soon the house was crowded and the music was loud. 

“So Ben, did you see that girl again today?” Poe asked, beer in his hand. 

“Oooh, Ben’s got a girl? Who? Tell me everything!” Gwen leaned in, hoping to hear the gossip over the noise of the room. 

“No, it’s not like that Phas.” Ben took a sip of his drink. “It’s just this girl I’ve seen a few times while I’ve been working at the furniture store.” 

Gwen stopped mid-drink to interrupt. “Wait, that’s not the job where you basically cosplay, is it?” 

Ben bobbed his head back and forth. “I mean, I wouldn’t call it cosplay, but yeah, the job where I dress up like a fucking stormtrooper and wave a sign around. Anyway, I see this girl maybe once or twice a week, and usually I don’t do anything. I don’t wanna be  _ that guy _ but today, I miiiight have blown her a kiss-” 

Gwen punched him in the shoulder. “SOLO, you motherfucker, that’s being exactly  _ that guy _ .” 

Ben winced when her knuckles made contact. “Okay, but she actually smiled back at me! God, she was gorgeous.” He took a second to stare off into his mind, remembering the way she looked in that blue sundress, the first time he’d seen her. He focused back on Gwen. “Listen, if you would have just seen her, you would understand that I didn’t have a choice. I just-” 

Just then, the door to the apartment opened, and Rose walked in. “Knock, knock!” 

“Rose!” Armie stood up from the couch that Ben and the rest of his friends were gathered around. “You made it.” He leaned in to give her a hug. “And you brought friends!” 

To say Ben gaped when he saw her would have been an understatement. Besides his mouth, his entire body froze. Obviously he’d seen her before, but there was something paralyzing about seeing her in a completely different context. He’d dreamed of her. Seeing what she looked like when she wasn’t concentrating on her phone, or walking through the crowded streets to the bus stop, trying to not make eye contact with anyone. He’d dreamed of seeing her smile, before that day at least. And now, here she was. Right in front of him. In the flesh, so close he could reach out and touch her. 

He didn’t, of course, mostly because they were essentially strangers, but also because his body still hadn’t caught up to reality. 

“Hey guys, this is Rose, and her friends…” Armie gestured behind him to the girl wearing a light green dress and man in a brown leather jacket, waiting for them to introduce themselves. 

“Finn,” the man said, “and this is Rey.” 

Rey shot him a glare, muttering under her breath. “I can say my own name, thanks.”

“Welcome! I’m Armitage, Armie, and this is… everyone.” He swung his hand around the circle. 

“Gwen Phasma, nice to meet ya.” She stood up and shook their hands, being strangely cordial before sitting back down. 

Poe held up a hand, “Poe. Rose, you’re even more beautiful than Armie described.” 

A flush of pink colored her cheeks and she moved a little closer to Armie. “Oh, thank you.” 

Poe turned to Ben, who was still frozen in place, mouth open. He cleared his throat. “Dude.” 

That snapped Ben back to the moment, slightly embarrassed. “Oh, sorry. Hi, I’m Ben.” He knew he probably should’ve made eye contact with all the new faces, but he couldn’t break his eyes away from Rey. 

She let out a tiny chuckle. “Hi,” She turned to Armie. “This is a great place you have here, very spacious. Thanks for inviting us.” Her accent was apparent now, unexpected but  euphonious to his ears. 

Armie brought Rose into him with one arm. “Of course, anything to see Rose.” He peered down at her. “Shall I get you a drink?” 

“Of course! Lead the way!” They walked off to the kitchen. 

“I think I’m gonna go find the drinks too,” Rey said as she trailed behind them, leaving Finn with the group. 

“So, Finn, what do you do?” Gwen asked, patting the space next to her on the couch and Finn joined. 

“I’m in finance, nothing too exciting.” 

While they chatted, Ben grabbed Poe by the elbow and walked him to the other side of the room. 

“What the hell?” 

“That’s her.” 

Confusion swept over Poe’s face. “Who, Rose? I thought that was Armie’s-” 

“Rey, her friend. That’s  _ her _ , the girl.” 

As soon as Poe understood, he began to laugh. “No shit, that’s the girl you’ve been crushing on while in costume? Oh this is  _ too _ good.” 

Unamused, Ben threw his hands up. “How is this good? She has no idea who I am, she’s only ever seen me in my uniform.” 

Poe’s laughter slowed. “Okay first of all, uniform, really? Second, isn’t that a good thing? You’ve got a clean slate, you can woo her with that Solo charm.” He burst out again. “I’m sorry, this is just fucking perfect.” 

“Poe, you can’t say anything.  _ Please _ don’t say anything to her.” 

“Aw, come on man! Fine, fine. I won’t tell her that you are the stormtrooper that hit on her today.” 

Relieved and drinkless, Ben and Poe went to the kitchen where they found Rey still there, this time alone and looking around. 

“Hey, Rey, right?” Poe popped a cap off another beer. 

She nodded. “Sorry, I forgot your name already. I’m terrible with names.” 

“Poe. And this right here,” he smacked him on the back and winked, “This is Ben.” 

If Ben could have gotten away with murder, he would have killed him right there. 

“Hi, sorry.” Ben felt the rush of red to his face. 

“What for?” 

“Huh?” 

“What are you sorry for?” A smile crept up on her lips ever so slightly. 

“Oh, um,” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure. Sorry. Again.” Ben was beginning to think it was better if she only ever saw him in his costume, it was a whole hell of a lot less embarrassing than what was happening right now. 

\--

Rey wasn’t the type of girl who dated much, or even flirted  _ ever _ for that matter. She really wasn’t sure what was happening in Armie’s kitchen with this guy named Ben. She didn’t  _ think _ it was flirting, but whatever it was, she found it endearing. He was cute, that was for sure, standing there fumbling with his words. He was much taller than her and Poe, who was still there between them. Ben and Rey both took sips of their drinks in the awkwardness that was their first conversation.

“So, Rey, what do you think about Galaxy Wars, more specifically stormtroopers? Are you Team Troopers?” 

Ben choked on his drink.

“Um, I mean I really like Galaxy Wars, but the last movie was awful.” She checked to see that Ben was coughing but okay. The second half of Poe’s question was odd, but she answered anyway. “I guess I like the stormtroopers. After all, they started off good in the prequels, but to be honest I don’t think I’ve given too much thought to them. What about you?” 

Poe glanced at Ben. “Oh, for me? Yeah I guess they’re okay. What do you think, Ben?”

“Um, okay. Well, I think everyone’s first impression is that they’re bad and evil, but deep down, they’re loyal and I respect that.” 

Rey raised her eyebrows. “Wow, that’s a good point, I hadn’t considered that.” 

Even while standing in the kitchen, the music and noise of partiers was beginning to give Rey a headache. “Is there somewhere quiet around here? Or quieter?” 

Ben opened his mouth to speak, but Poe beat him to it. “Yes, outside on the deck! Ben would love to take you there, wouldn’t you, Ben?” 

Ben shot daggers at him, before his eyes softened towards Rey. “Sure, follow me.” 

She followed him through the crowd and minutes later they were outside, a big tree hanging its branches over the deck and the clear sky sparkling above them. 

“Wow, it’s so beautiful out here,” she said staring up at the sky. “Much quieter, thank you. My apartment is one of the few that doesn’t have a rooftop or balconies, plus being in the city, it’s hard to see the stars. Armie is lucky to have this place just on the outskirts where he can see this all the time.” She wandered around the deck, taking note that they were the only ones out there. 

Ben stood back and leaned off the side, holding his beer. “Yeah, I definitely prefer the calm out here over the craziness inside. My friends are… loud.” 

Rey laughed at this. “Yeah, but they seem really great. How long have you all known each other?” 

“Me and Armie, most of our lives. Poe and Gwen I met in college. How long have you known Rose?” 

Rey mirrored his position on the side of the deck. “I met her in college too. She was the first person I met when I moved to the States. We’ve been best friends ever since.” 

“Do you miss home?” 

She pondered this for a moment, trying to decide if she even considered London home, or if she truly  _ had _ a home. She’d bounced around from place to place most of her life, and wasn’t sure she knew the meaning of the word. 

“I’m not sure that I do. London was… London. Just a city, to me at least.” Her eyes met his, and she felt a warmness in her body begin to grow. “I dunno, I guess I’ve never really had a  _ home _ .” The weight of the conversation was starting to suffocate her. “But anyway, we are at a party, and people don’t talk about such heavy things at a party,” she said playfully, trying to lighten the mood. Respecting the aversion, Ben turned his attention up towards the stars. 

“Well, do they talk about constellations at parties?” 

She grinned. “Yes, I suppose they do.” 

He must have heard the smile in her voice, because Ben smiled too, and that was when she noticed his dimples in the moonlight. “Did you know that the word ‘constellation’ comes from the Latin term meaning ‘set with stars’?” 

“I didn’t know that.” Reluctantly, she took her eyes off him and placed them on the stars. It’d been a long time since she’d last looked up and the sky was clear enough for her to actually see anything. It was always cloudy in London, and since moving to America, she’d always been working at night, never out like this. Luckily, she now had a steady job with regular hours, so for the first time in her life, she had this luxury. 

“I used to be obsessed with all things space when I was a kid.” 

She turned back to face him. “Real space or Galaxy Wars space?” she teased. 

The moonlight hit his face just enough to where she swore she saw him blush. “A little of both, I guess.” He paused, looking like he was deciding something. “Rey, I know I’ve just met you, but I have something to tell you. I really hope you’re going to laugh and not be mad at me.” 

\--

Who starts a sentence like that? Ben wished he could kick himself. Why was he making this a big deal?

Rey quirked her eyebrow, unsure of where Ben was going with this sudden confession. “Oh-kay. Go on.” 

Ben let out a huff. “So I’m in grad school, and it’s expensive, and one of my many jobs is working for a furniture store, the one off of Academy Boulevard.” Rey was still tracking him so far, so he kept going. “Anyway, my job is to wave a giant sign around and dress up like a stormtrooper. Like I said, we’ve just  _ met _ , but I’ve seen you before-” 

Suddenly, a wave of understanding swept over her face. “Oh my god, you blew a kiss at me today!” She covered her mouth with her hand. 

“Uh, yeah. Sorry, I know I shouldn’t have because I was being  _ that guy _ , like my friends told me earlier, but I don’t know, I’d seen you before, and you’re really pretty, like  _ really _ pretty, and I don’t know what came over me-” 

All of a sudden, Rey’s lips were on his. He froze at first, but then moved into the kiss, deeping it just slightly and his hand raising to cup her face. Her lips were soft and warm, tasting of the cider she’d been drinking, and as quickly as she was on him, she broke away. 

“Sorry, oh my god, I’m really sorry. I’m not normally like this.” Her hands lifted to shield her face, and she let out a groan. “I wasn’t even going to come tonight because I hate meeting new people, and-” 

Ben reached for her hands and she let him take them in his. “Hey, it’s really okay. I… I actually really liked it. The kiss. I wanted to kiss you myself, but I didn’t think  _ you _ would want me to.” He smiled at her and she slowly started to laugh. 

“So, that really was you this afternoon? You’re the stormtrooper I see every now and then on my way home from work?” 

Ben furrowed his brows. “Wait, you noticed me?” 

She rolled her eyes. “Duh, how could someone NOT notice a person in a stormtrooper’s costume on the side of the road?” 

“Oh, right,” he chuckled. “Well, yep. That’s me, and it will be for a few more months until I graduate school. I can’t wait to quit, it’s so embarrassing.” 

She giggled, her laughter slowly fading as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He liked the feeling of her on him, and made a silent wish that they could stay like this forever. And they did, for a while at least, until she finally broke the silence of the night. 

“Ben, I’d like to change my answer, from Poe’s question earlier.” He looked quizzically at her, so she continued. “I think I  _ really _ like stormtroopers. Team Trooper all the way for me.” 

Ben rolled his eyes, but then leaned down to kiss her again. This time, it was slow, his hands cradling her face, and her arms wrapping around his back, pulling him closer, tighter. 

Rey and Ben jumped when Rose opened the door, but they didn’t jump apart. 

“Hey Rey, do you want to play-” Rose quirked a brow at the sight of them tangled up in each other, staring at her like deer in headlights. “Oh, I see you are busy. Nevermind, I’ll just see you inside, later.” She backed into the house, closing the door behind her.

Rey and Ben looked at each other before bursting into laughter. 

“Shall we go join our friends?” she asked.

As much as Ben didn’t want to let go of her, he knew it wouldn’t be the last time he’d hold her in his arms. He grinned at the thought of this. He dropped his hands, his right one taking hers. 

“Let’s go,” he said, pulling her towards the door. 


End file.
